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320th out of 947 books
—
1,419 voters
At the Scent of Water (Second Chances Collection #3)
Life is rewarding for Samuel Truelove. Hebs a gifted heart surgeon, hebs married to the love of his life, and he has a beautiful daughter. But when he mis-diagnoses his daughterbs illness and is suddenly called away to perform emergency surgery, a deadly cascade of events is set in motion. After multiple tragedies, Sam withdraws into himself, takes a leave of absence, and...more
Paperback, 414 pages
Published
October 1st 2004
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published 2004)
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"At the Scent of Water" is the story of Sam and Annie Truelove, whose marriage unravels after the death of their daughter. Sam throws himself into his work while Annie runs away to begin a new life as far from her past as possible. Sam refuses to give up hope that she will come back, but her return is not the joyful homecoming he has dreamed of.
Linda Nichols introduces her characters slowly, allowing us to get to know them well over the course of the novel. None of them are perfect people, and b...more
Linda Nichols introduces her characters slowly, allowing us to get to know them well over the course of the novel. None of them are perfect people, and b...more
This book is about two tragedies which collide in the life of a gifted surgeon and causes everything he loves in life to collapse. Instead of seeking God in prayer, he withdraws and doesn't let his wife help him grieve. It's also the story of the wife who leaves him to rebuild her life without him.
I really liked the writing of this book. It was full of pathos and understanding. As reader you sense that this story could go one of two ways, as it teeters on the edge the whole time. If the characte...more
I really liked the writing of this book. It was full of pathos and understanding. As reader you sense that this story could go one of two ways, as it teeters on the edge the whole time. If the characte...more
What a wonderful story that reminds us of God's redemptive Love! How beautiful that the main characters Sam & Annie's last name is TrueLove :)
Following the devastating loss of their young daughter, Sam and Annie separate and try to create new lives for themselves, 2,000 or so miles apart. But five years later, circumstances bring them both back to the same North Carolina town where they once lived and loved each other, and where both of their families have been praying for their reconciliati...more
Following the devastating loss of their young daughter, Sam and Annie separate and try to create new lives for themselves, 2,000 or so miles apart. But five years later, circumstances bring them both back to the same North Carolina town where they once lived and loved each other, and where both of their families have been praying for their reconciliati...more
My friend C picked this book off of the coffeehouse borrowing shelf. You borrow a book, you add a book. It’s a great little system. C read it in just a few days, gave it to me, and told me that I had to read this book. So I began (after readying myself with a silly zombie book).
This book moved me. Not just a little story of loss, but a deeply moving portayal of lost people struggling to find their place (forward or backward). I found myself tearing up throughout the book. The characters’ pain wa...more
This book moved me. Not just a little story of loss, but a deeply moving portayal of lost people struggling to find their place (forward or backward). I found myself tearing up throughout the book. The characters’ pain wa...more
Aug 25, 2012
Angela
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Women who've lost a child - however, anyone from about 13+ could read it.
This was the first book that I've known my mom to read cover to cover... she really enjoyed it! After she finished, I read it, and really appreciated how Linda Nichols wove the characters into the story - and the messege of giving your sorrow to God. The book didn't exactly completely apply to me, as I am not a mother, let alone have lost a child. However, it was a tremendously amazing story, with nothing innappropriate, and I wouldn't be surprised to find myself reading it again.
This book really touched my heart. It's a Christian fiction story about a couple who are going through some major life events which have driven them apart. I appreciated the author's handling of pain, sorrow, and grief, and of how faith in Jesus Christ can help to bring healing and forgiveness. She does a good job of telling each character's story. The fact that most of it is set in the mountains of North Carolina made it a fun read also.
A sad and triumphant story about overcoming grief. The struggles in this story, though set in a fiction, are real battles that real people face. Linda Nichols took these real battles and created characters with a story that will break your heart. What I was missing, though, was more passion between the main characters as they found their way back to each other. I wanted to feel their love just as greatly as I felt their loss.
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This book is a great read during a summer vacation. I would not share it with children because it deals with mature matters that a child may not understand in this book. However, high schoolers may be interested in this book since it covers some of the history of the south and one older man's view of his hometown 50 years later and how it changed. This story is touching and is free of obscene language and sexual content. It deals with the hurt and pain that come from losing a child, divorce, and...more
All I can say is I loved it, loved it, loved it. It's now in my top ten of favorite books. This book is one I'll pull out every few years and read again and again. Gorgeous prose that makes me jealous as a writer, but the story grabbed me by the fibers of my heart on page one and didn't let go. At the end of the story I was sad to say goodbye to characters I had truly come to love.
I really, really wanted to love this book. I liked the story, but it was a very slow book for me.
There are a lot of characters in this book and they are well developed by Nichols. Sometimes I got lost in the progression of the story because of the details of each character.
This is a story of hope and healing. I liked the story, just not the journey to the resolution!
There are a lot of characters in this book and they are well developed by Nichols. Sometimes I got lost in the progression of the story because of the details of each character.
This is a story of hope and healing. I liked the story, just not the journey to the resolution!
I really enjoyed this book, maybe even more so than the other two books of hers that I have read. If I could I would have given this book 4.5 stars. This story looks at the grief experienced by the loved ones of a child that has died. It does not just focus on the sadness though there is hope and light too. I would highly recommend this book!
I really couldn't find the story believable or interesting. A young couple is torn apart when their young daughter dies and the story slowly evolves around the process of them getting together again. I justg thought it seemed to be written for a high school English class
assignment. Trite and obious and done so many times before.
assignment. Trite and obious and done so many times before.
A strange "twist of fate / God's hand / coincidence" story of loss, love, family, broken promises and importance of communication. It was an outstanding story of one couple's loss of their daughter and the loss of their marriage. At the same time, another couple was reuniting after 45 years of separation. And one old woman sat back and got to see it all unfold from every side.
I don't usually enjoy Christian fiction, but this story was so emotionally touching, and I truly admired the depth of feeling within the storyline. I felt that the author had done some real soul-searching around the pain of the loss of a loved one, and this carried through in the emotional journeys of the characters.
A friend loaned me this book. It was a Christian lit book about a husband and wife who loose a child and then loose their faith. It is well written and stylistically beautiful. It is a little slow moving and introspective, which certainly isn't a bad thing if you are in the mood for it.
Well 3.5. It was slow going to the predictable end but it was well written and was not so overly spiritial that it didn't seem real. I was little surprised that these people rarely cam inot contatct with non Christians but maybe it is that way in the south. I don't know.
christian fiction, very southern christian fiction but we'll see how it reads, better written than some LDS fiction depending on your believe of heaven and life after death, this discusses thoses in a good way. It's not in your face religion.
Ik vond het boek erg traag op gang komen zodat het op een gegeven moment ging vervelen,heb het toen toch door gezet met lezen hoe verder ik naar het einde ging des te beter werd het.
Maar ik kan er echt niet meer als drie puntjes voor geven.
Dus voor mij maar net een voldoende
Maar ik kan er echt niet meer als drie puntjes voor geven.
Dus voor mij maar net een voldoende
Average. a little on the religious side. fairly standard plot, the expected ending - married couple break up over accidental death of their child, eventually deal with their grief & reunite.
This book was so good for my heart. It really taught me about God's perfect Will and how He can bring you through any season of life if you allow Him to. Such a beautiful story. 5 stars.
Loved it! I think Linda is a poet at heart, her writing is so lyrical. She's not afraid to tackle difficult situations in order to show how no tragedy is greater than God's healing love.
If you love inspirational romances, this story might be for you. Annie and Sam Truelove have lead separate lives for five years, when they lost their daughter and tragedy happens to one of his patients, while he was grieving. Annie's on the verge of moving and filing for divorce, when her family calls her back home, when there's a debate about Kelly Bright. Meanwhile, Mary Truelove, Sam's mom, reunites with her ex-fiance Elijah Walker, and rekindles their old romance, while he brought faith and...more
Nichols did a good job of bringing you into the characters and feeling all that they were going through. Reading this was a reminder that we may never know the whys, but with God by our side He will get us through the dark times and see happiness on the other side if we just let him have His way with us!
Gripping story of sorrow underlaid with hope. Moves just a little bit too slowly but that is all right because the characters are so true to life that the reader doesn't mind spending the extra time with them.
I really like this author's style of telling a story. It's not apparent all at once, but unfolds as you go. She can be a bit preachy, but I can overlook that for a good story...
I really enjoyed this book especially given that I read it this summer. Sure there is an inevitable ending, but it demonstrated hope for me. This is the way marriage should be- full of perseverance. Nichols certainly has a gifting from god because her ability to tie in scripture and Godly wisdom in such an organic way was beautiful. This brought renewed energy to my life.
50% Good, 50% the most annoying book I've read (including university textbooks). It makes me want to rewrite it (and I am published already...).
Book that promotes faith. I'm wondering if everything wasn't solved too neatly just because the people characters were Christians?
The plot was a little too sad (with sadness concerning little girls) for this new mom but other than that, I liked it.
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